Tube drive twister



April 2, 1957 w. F. REA 2,787,113

TUBE DRIVE TWISTER Filed 001;. 20, 1953 INVENTOR WILLIAM F. REA 7% m ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent TUBE DRIVE TWISTER William Fox Rea, Monroe County, Mich, assignor, by mesne assignments, to L. 0. F Glass Fibers Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 20, 1953, Serial No. 387,135

7 Claims. (Cl. 57-90) This invention relates to improvements in means and methods of controlling the feeding of yarns to spinning apparatus; more particularly the invention relates to the feeding of glass textile strands to ring spinning apparatus to control the twist of the strands as they are tensioned and wound.

A primary objective of the invention is to provide, in conjunction with textile twisting and winding apparatus, a substantially positive feed control means for supplying yarns or strands to twisting apparatus at a substantially constant rate.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a method of controlling the rate at which strands or yarns of glass textile material are fed to ring spinning apparatus to limit the twist and rateof wind of the yarn.

It is a particular feature of this invention to provide an economical arrangement for the operation of a battery of textile spinning units in which arrangement the rate of feed of strands or yarns is limited in'a predetermined manner.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing wherein: Y

Figure 1 schematically illustrates one embodiment of the device of invention including the combination of yarn twisting and winding apparatus with a control feed means for the yarn; t

Figure 2 illustrates a modification of the control apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of an arrangement for supplying powerto operate a battery of units such as that illustrated in Figure '1; and f Figure 4 illustrates schematically an electrical circuit arrangement useful in the practice of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a twister spindle 1 having thereon a bobbin or spool 3, the spindle and spool being directly connected to a high speed motor 5 supported on a base 7.

Surrounding the twister spindle 1 is a twister ring 9 which reciprocates along the length of the twister spindle and controls the shape of the package of yarn in a known manner. Reciprocation of the ring 9 may be effected in any suitable manner as by the usual drive means of a twister .frame.

Slidably mounted on the twister ring 9 is a traveler 11 which is rotatable on the ring around the twister spindle and spool thereon. A strand or yarn 13' passes downwardly to the traveler 11 andspool 3 through eye 15 from the yarn feeder indicated generally at 17, which feeder is usually mounted about five feet above the spool 3.

The yarn feeder comprises a bobbin 19 on which the yarn is wound and a ree'l 20 which supports the bobbin. A motor 21 adapted to be driven at alow constant speed isshown directly connected to the-reel 20 for driving 2 ,78 7,1 13 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 of the bobbin 19 and control of the feeding of the yarn strand 13 to the traveler and spool.

Considering generally the operation of the device the twister spindle 1 and spool 3 are driven at a high constant speed, which may vary from 1 to 9 thousand R. P. M. and in the present case may be considered as about 6400 R. P. M. The yarn 13 tends to be wound on the spool by the rapid rotation of the spindle and in its passage to the spool the yarn engages the traveler 11, which due to the tension of the yarn is rotated on the twister ring about the bobbin.

In this connection it may be noted that the rate of winding of yarn on the bobin is controlled by fixing the speed at which the yarn is fed and the rotational speed of the spindle, while the twist imparted to the yarn is dependent upon the difference of speed between the rotation of the spindle and the rotation of the traveler, and the traveler'may move only as fast as the yarn will permit it to do. By controlling the tension of the yarn supplied through the traveler to the spool the twist may be controlled.

The yarn feeding device 17 is adapted to control the rate at which the yarn is fed to the spinning apparatus and operates at a lower rotational speed than the twister spindle and traveler, since the diameter of the yarn on the feeding device is greater, usually three to five times that of the spool yarn diameter. Thus motor 21 which drives the yarn feeder or combination of the reel 20 and bobbin 19 directly must be operated at a relatively low constant speed in order to control the tension of the yarn 13 supplied to the traveler and spool.

A preferable method of controlling the speed of motor 21 is to utilize a standard 60 cycle alternating current motor and to'feed to .it a voltage having a frequency much lower than 60 cycles which causes the motor to rotate at less than its rated speed. For example, a A horse power motor normally operable at 1200 R. P. M. and 60 cycles may be operated at 600 R. P. M. when a 30 cycle voltage is fed to it, and similarly an 1800 R. P. M. motor may be operated at 900 R. P. M. on a 30 cycle frequency. The speed in revolutions per minute of an alternating current motor, such as a synchronous or induction motor, is normally determined by the number of pairs of poles per phase. Accordingly operation of motor 21 at low speed, even though motor 21 be a standard motor normally operable at 60 cycles,

is readily feasible and will be more specifically referred feeder is indicated in Figure 2, wherein motor 23 nor-' mally operable at, for example, 1200 R. P. M. and 60 cycles, is powered at 60 cycles and carries on shaft 25 thereof a gear 27 which meshes with a larger gear 29 on shaft 31 of a reel of yarn feeder 33. This gear reduction permits ready selection of the speed of the yarn feeder by simply changing the gear ratio of gears27, 29. The power requirement for this operation is low and a horse power, volt alternating current Emerson motor geared to a reel has proven satisfactory.

Referring nowto Figure 3 there is shown therein an economical arrangement for supplying a low frequency voltage to the motors 21 of the battery of yarn feeders 17. The feeders 17 and motors 21' may be suitably arranged on a standard twister frame. The arrangementconsists of a primary motor 35 of a motor-generafor set driven from any suitable source of power and which itself drives, through a suitable gear train 37, an alternator (generator) 39. Alternator 39 may be suitably driven, for example, at 290 R. P. M. and when provided with four poles will put out a voltage at a fr equency of 9.7 cycles per second. This voltage may be provided to each of the motors 2'1, whichyi'f selected to have a single pair of poles, will operate at a rotational speed of about 9.7 revolutions per second and the bobbins 19' will be driven at the same rotational speed.

fieleetion of the-use1of .a four pole motor for motor 21' would reduce the speed of the yarn feeders gto .onehalf that is about 4.8 revolutions per second. arly, if alternator 39 were driven at a speed of approximately 57 revolutions per minute, the frequencyiof the output voltage would be approximately 1.9 cycles per second, and with a single pair of poles in each of motors 21' the output speed of the yarn feeders would be 1.-9-;revolutions per second, while with four poles the-output speed would be 0.95 revolution per second.

The speed of the alternator which supplies allot the yarn ifeeders of the battery whichmay suitably number 150 or more feeders may readily changed by changing the ,gear ratio of the unit .37; thus an economical arrangement is provided for furnishing any desired speed to the yarn feeders, it being only necessary t select for motors 21 standard motors which will withstand the heat generated at the power required for operation of the motor. Mi horse power alternating current motors of anystandard construction are suitable.

With the arrangement thus described the feed of strands l3' from the yarn feeder is positive and closely controlled and exerts a close control over the force applied .to the traveler 11 (Figure 1). With the arrangement described a twist of one turn per inch may be attained with the alternator operating at 290 R. P. l/Land a rotational speed of theyarn feeder of 9.7 revolutions .per second, .the spool 3 being operated at about v6400 R. P. M. A rotational speed of 8460 R. P. In. on the spindle 1 .at a yarn feeder speed of 1.9 revolutions per second will impart to the yarn a twist of five turns per inch.

A circuit such as that schematically shown in Figure 4 may be suitably employed for supplying power to the motor of .the yarn feeder; thus an exciter winding 41 may be powered with direct current to energize alternator 43 which when switch 45 is closed supplies a low frequency voltage to the winding 47 of the yarn feeder motor as at :21 (Figure l) and 21 (Figure 3). This arrangement is desirable in the powering of the battery (Figure 3) as the frequency is closely controlled by such arrangement.

The device of invention is particularly adaptable for the twisting and winding of glass textile strands which are in the form of rovings; the control of the twist is more precise than when snubber arrangements are employed, the speed of winding is high, and the manufacturing costs are accordingly lessened. The elimination of snubbers or individual drives between the yarn feeder and winding spool also minimizes mechanical difficulties. These advantages are attained due to the positive driving of the feeder at a speed consistent with spindle speed and desired twist.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adopt it to different usages andconditions and accordingly it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. in combination, ring spinning apparatus including a twister ring, a traveler thereon and a rotatable twister spindle about which the traveler is itself rotatable on the twister ring, a guide eye above the spindle, a yarn feeder, and means to power the yarn feeder independently of the twister spindle at a substantially constant rate to control the rate of feed of the yarn through the guide eye .to the traveler and spindle, said means to power the yarn feeder comprising an electric motor normally operable at a given frequency to produce a .given rotational speed .-of the motor, and means to supply to the motor a voltage of .a frequency different from the given frequency to drive 4. the motor and feeder at a speed different from that of the given rotationalspced of the-motor.

2. In combination, ring spinning apparatus including a twister ring, a traveler and a rotatable twister spindle about which the traveler is rotatable on the twister ring, a yarn feeder positioned above the spindle and having directly connected thereto an electric motor normally operable at a given frequency to produce a given rotational speed of the motor, and means to supply to the motor a voltage of lesser frequency than the given frequency to drive the motor and feeder at a positive speed which is less than that of .the given rotational speed of the motor.

3. Tube drive twister apparatus comprising a rotatable yarn feeder such as a bobbin or the like, a twister spindle, means to drive the twister spindle at a substantially constant rotational speed, a ,twister ring surrounding the spindle and having a traveler movable therearound, said traveler being constructed and arranged to receive yarn from said feeder, twist it and to guide it to said spindle, means including an electric motor operably connected with thefeederto rotate theyarn feeder at a substantially constant rotational speed to regulate the feed of said yarn to said traveler and spindle, said motor being normally operable at a given frequencyto produce a given rotational speed, and means to supply to the motor a voltage of lesser frequency than the given frequency.

4. Tube drive twister apparatus comprising a rotatable yarn feeder such asa bobbin or the like, a twister spindle, mea-nsto drive the twister spindle at a substantially constant rotational speed, a twister ring surrounding the spindle and having a traveler movable therearound, said traveler being constructed and arranged to receive yarn from said feeder, twist it and to guide it to said spindle, an electric 'motor directly connected to said yarn feeder, means to drive said electric motor at a rotational speed such that the feed of yarn .to the traveler is limited by the rotational speed-of the motor, said electric motor being normally operable :at .a given frequency to produce a given rotational speed, and means to supply to said electric motor a voltage of ,alesser frequency than .the given frequency to drive'the'rnotor and feeder at .a positivespeed which is lesser than that of the given rotational speed of the motor.

5. Tube drive twister apparatus comprising a rotatable yarn feeder such as a bobbin or the like, a twister spindle, means to drive the twister spindle at a substantially constant rotational speed, .a twister ring surrounding the spindle and having a traveler movable therearound, said traveler :being constructed :and arranged to receive yarn from said feeder, twist it .and to guide it to said spindle, an electric motor directly connected to said yarn feeder, and means to drive saidelectric motor at a low controlled rotationalspeed, said latter means including means to supply to the motor a voltage of a frequency lower than that at which the motor is rated.

6. Tube drive twister apparatus comprising a rotatable yarn feeder such as a bobbin or the like, a twister spindle, means to drive the twister spindle at a substantially constant rotational speed, a twister ring surrounding the spindle and having a traveler movable therearound, said traveler being constructed and arranged to receive yarn from said feeder, twist it and to guide it to said spindle, a motor-generator set adapted to develop a voltage of a low .outputfrequency, a motor driven by said generator and directly connected to said yarn feeder to drive the same .at .a low rotational speed to regulate the feed of said yarn to said traveler and spindle.

7. Tube drive twister apparatus comprising a rotatable yarn feeder such as a bobbin or the like, a twister spindle, means to drive the twister spindle at a substantially constant rotational speed, a twister ring surrounding the spindle and having a traveler movable therearound, said traveler being constructed and arranged to receive yarn from'said feeder, twist'it and to guide it to said spindle,

an electric motor directly connected to said yarn feeder, said electric motor being operable normally at a given frequency to develop a given output speed, and a motorgenerator set adapted to develop a voltage at a frequency less than that given frequency at which said electric motor is operable, said generator being connected to drive said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Collins Mar. 14, 1905 Furness Apr. 14, 1931 Sorenson Oct. 19, 1937 Lawson Dec. 31, 1940 

